"Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, and dreams are forever." ~ Walt Disney

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12 October 2012

Socks and signs

A child's feet grow rapidly. It's a fact known to many parents or those in child care. So it is safe to assume that your child's shoe size is not the same as the last time you went on a shoe-shopping trip.

The American Podiatric Medical Association suggests measuring your child's feet before every new shoe purchase. I fall short of this. And even if I did measure, I still would not have known we were to measure 'no matter how recently the feet were last measured.'

I don't remember my kiddo regularly wearing typical socks while trying on shoes. And I don't remember myself inspecting his feet for signs of irritation after trying on shoes. You may join me in making a note to self: socks and signs (of irritation)

If you don't mind secondhand shoes, the advice is to avoid them as they 'could cause fungal infection.' I remember a colleague proudly telling me how she bought her daughter's shoes for 25 cents at a garage sale. And I remember wondering if there were garage sales like those in my neighborhood. Glad there weren't any as my adventurous self who is open to trying things at least once may have fancied purchasing a secondhand pair.

Do you notice signs of uneven wear? Sometimes they are unmistakeably present, but we may not know that they could be 'indicators of a foot problem.' A child's foot can be bigger than the other. We are to 'choose the size that fits the larger foot.' That would ensure space to wiggle the toes, and therefore less chances of hurting the feet. If you are good at determining shoe sizes you still may need to take your child along to the shoe store as you could miscalculate. I remember how delighted I was by pretty strappy sandals bought for me when I was sleeping. The dismay? They were impossibly larger than my feet. This is why now with my turn to be a parent, I normally allow my kid to hop along for the shoe-buying experience.

I guess you would agree with this tip: "shoes that are comfy in the store are good bets that they would be similarly comfy when you are wearing them outside the store."

I'm a big spender when it comes to shoes, I don't mind buying the more expensive ones if they mean comfort for them feet - both mine and the kids, thanks for the pointers! So far we all have happy feet here! ^_^